Erfurt

Erfurt is a city in central Germany. It is the capital of the state of Thuringia, a manufacturing centre with a population of 196,500.

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Erfurt was first mentioned in 742 under the name of "Erphesfurt". It was an important trading town during the Middle Ages near a ford in the Gera river. Together with the other five Thuringian woad-towns of Gotha, Tennstedt, Arnstadt and Langensalza it was the centre of the German woad trade. In 1392 Erfurt University was founded, which was famous at its time but became defunct in 1816. In 1803 Erfurt became a part of Prussia. Although enclosed by Thuringian territory, the city remained Prussian until 1945. After German reunification Erfurt became the capital of the reestablished state of Thuringia.

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The emblem of Erfurt is the two churches, the Mariendom and the Severikirche, which stand directly side by side. Both churches tower above the townscape and are accessible via huge open stairs.

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Another remarkable site is the Kr?merbr?cke, a bridge crossing the narrow Gera River. The bridge is covered with inhabited buildings. It was built in 1325 with a church on either bridgehead - one of these churches still exists.

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Martin Luther attended the University of Erfurt and received his bachelor's and master's degrees there. The Augustinerkloster is an ancient Augustinian monastery. Martin Luther lived there as a monk from 1505-11.

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Erfurt is the birthplace of one of J.S. Bach's cousins, Johann Bernhard Bach (1676-1749), Meister Eckhart and also sociologist, Max Weber (1864-1920).

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On April 26, 2002 the student Robert Steinh?user killed 13 teachers, 2 students, a policeman and himself at the Gutenberg-Gymnasium school, see Erfurt massacre.

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Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich.

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Thuringia: The Free State of Thuringia (German: Freistaat Th?ringen) lies in central Germany and is among the smaller of the country's sixteen Bundesl?nder (federal states), with an area of 16,200 km? and 2.45 million inhabitants. The capital is Erfurt....

742: Events...

Middle Ages: The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three 'ages': the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. The Middle Ages of Western Europe are commonly dated from the end of the Western Roman Empire (5th century)...